MS19087
Well Known Member
ACK E-04 (406) - second inflight activation!
This past weekend I did a short hop from KOQN to KPTW - a ten minute flight. Upon shutdown I could hear the audible tones of the ELT. Once I realized it was the ELT I hit the reset button which silenced the unit and stopped it from emitting the distress signal. Sure enough within a few minutes I received a call from the USAF SARSAT facility in Florida.
The good news is that they hear me when it activates. The bad news is that it is the second time in 18 months that it activated for no apparent reason. I called the manufacturer who had little explanation to offer and suggested that I monitor it in future flights - really! They claim the only other reports of activation were from aircraft where the audio annunciator had gotten wet from rain. This was not the case with me - my aircraft was dry and not exposed to any water. I'm disappointed that they have no diagnostic tools to determine why I have experienced this twice in 18 mos.
Has anyone else had an issue with their ACK E-04?
This past weekend I did a short hop from KOQN to KPTW - a ten minute flight. Upon shutdown I could hear the audible tones of the ELT. Once I realized it was the ELT I hit the reset button which silenced the unit and stopped it from emitting the distress signal. Sure enough within a few minutes I received a call from the USAF SARSAT facility in Florida.
The good news is that they hear me when it activates. The bad news is that it is the second time in 18 months that it activated for no apparent reason. I called the manufacturer who had little explanation to offer and suggested that I monitor it in future flights - really! They claim the only other reports of activation were from aircraft where the audio annunciator had gotten wet from rain. This was not the case with me - my aircraft was dry and not exposed to any water. I'm disappointed that they have no diagnostic tools to determine why I have experienced this twice in 18 mos.
Has anyone else had an issue with their ACK E-04?
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